'Feeling The Brakes' Of The Government Shutdown

'Feeling The Brakes' Of The Government Shutdown

Eyre Bus in Glenelg is a family owned business that has been operating in the Baltimore-area for decades (WBAL Photo by Scott Wykoff)

Eyre's charter bus and commuter bus service is feeling the pinch of the government shutdown (WBAL Photo by Scott Wykoff)

From Glenelg, WBAL's Scott Wykoff reports on a local family owned business that is being impacted by the government shutdown Download This File

Eyre Bus is based in Glenelg (WBAL Photo by Scott Wykoff)

WBAL's Scott Wykoff reports on a local business that is 'feeling the brakes' of the government shutdown Download This File

WBAL's Scott Wykoff reports on how the government shutdown is impacting Eyre Bus in Howard County Download This File

Eyre Bus Charter Manager Connie Buck and General Manager Mike McDonald talk with WBAL's Scott Wykoff about how the government shutdown is impacting business for the bus company Download This File

Eyre Bus in Glenelg, a local family owned-business, is feeling the impact of the government shutdown in more ways than one.

The bus, tour and travel company that has been in operation for decades in Howard County employing drivers, mechanics and other staff says it has had a lot of charter cancellations in the week since the government shutdown and ridership on its MTA contracted commuter buses is down over the same period.

Not only is the bus company feeling a financial pinch, but its employees are also suffering during the shutdown as drivers only get paid when they are behind the wheel of the familiar white and red buses.

ôWeÆve had a lot of cancellations,ö Eyre Charter Manager Connie Buck tells WBALÆs Scott Wykoff.ôMostly a lot of the school groups because they are doing their field trips at this time of the year to go to the Holocaust, the Smithsonians, the Capitol, everything in DC that is closed down.ö

As of Tuesday the partial shutdown of the federal government was in its 8th day.

ôFor right now the biggest impact is our drivers are losing money, and they will not be repaidö says Buck.ôIf they donÆt work they donÆt get paid. So everything that is cancelled is not only lack of revenue to the company but they flat out just donÆt get paid and wonÆt be reimbursed.ö

Not only has EyreÆs charter service been impacted with cancellations but the bus companyÆs MTA contracted commuter service is also feeling the effects of the government shutdown.

ôAbsolutely,ö Eyre Bus General Manager tells WBALÆs Scott Wykoff.ôJust putting some figures together for MTA today from the first day of the shutdown through the end of last week weÆve seen a 30% to 40% decrease in ridership on the commuter runs themselves.ö

Because of that he says the longer the shutdown goes on the MTA could decide to reduce the number of buses they contract with Eyre for the commuter routes that take Maryland riders to big government facilities like the DOD at Fort Meade, NIH in Bethesda, FDA in White Oak or to the Metro in Silver Spring for the many now furloughed federal workers who need to get downtown in DC.

ôThe guaranteed money that we have from the state through our contract coming in (with the MTA for the commuter routes) we base our financial obligations and make financial decisions for our company based on that revenue coming in every month,ö adds McDonald.ôAnd if that would unexpectedly decrease it puts the whole company into a bit of jeopardy.ö